Funding to replace the Selwood Bridge is coming together. As per HB 2001 — the transportation funding package that passed the Oregon legislature this past session — Multnomah County is considering a new, $19 motorized vehicle registration fee that will raise $127 million to help pay for the bridge.

“The BTA absolutely supports raising money for new bicycle infrastructure in such ways that bicyclists can also contribute.” — Scott Bricker, executive director of the BTA

According to a fact sheet issued by Multnomah County (PDF here), the fee would be in place for 20 years, it would apply to 577,240 motorized vehicles registered in the county (trucks weighing 26,000 lbs. are exempt), and County residents would start paying the fee in Fall of 2010.

After two and a half years of study, a committee of elected and agency leaders has recommended a locally preferred alternative for the Sellwood Bridge Project. The alternative, which was unanimously approved on February 6, includes these elements:

The Policy Advisory Group for the Sellwood Bridge Project will meet on Friday, February 6 at 3:00 pm in the boardroom of the Multnomah Building at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. to choose a locally preferred alternative. The decision is a major step in a planning project that began in 2006. The meeting is open to the public and will include time for public comment.

Sellwood residents are gearing up for a march on the Sellwood Bridge this Saturday. According to one of the event’s organizers, Bradley Heintz, the goal of the march is to send a message that any bridge that is built adheres to existing planning guidelines as community livability concerns.

The Community Task Force for the Sellwood Bridge project is set to meet on Monday (1/5) and the agenda will include a discussion and “possible recommendation” of a locally preferred alternative.

Here’s more from a press release sent out today by Multnomah County (they own and manage the bridge):

The task force will also hear presentations on public comments received about the project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), results of a public survey about the preferred alternative, and a report on possible hybrids that combine elements of alternatives that were studied in the draft EIS. Five build alternatives and one no build option were analyzed in the draft EIS. The build alternatives include three bridge replacements and two rehabilitations of the existing bridge…

This month the task force will recommend its preferred alternative to the project’s Policy Advisory Group, comprised of elected and appointed officials. If the task force cannot reach consensus on a recommendation on Monday, a second meeting will be held January 19. On February 6 the Policy Advisory Group will consider the task force recommendation before making its own recommendation. The preferred alternative recommended by the Policy Group must be adopted by Multnomah County, the City of Portland and Metro before the Federal Highway Administration can issue a final approval.

The task force meeting is open to the public and will include time for public comment.

The Community Task Force for the Sellwood Bridge Project will meet on Monday, January 5 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at OMSI, 1945 SE Water Avenue.

Multnomah County has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Sellwood Bridge Project. Included in the DEIS are details of the five bridge design configurations that are being considered.

Now, the County needs your feedback to help them decide what type of bridge to build.

I’ll have a full story about this on the Front Page on Monday, but this is a very important step in the process so I wanted to share the announcement below with you ASAP.

Public comment period begins for Sellwood Bridge alternatives study

Multnomah County is accepting public comments on a study of five build alternatives and a no build option for the Sellwood Bridge. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) compares impacts of the alternatives in areas such as cost, residential and business relocations, bridge closure periods, traffic flow, and flexibility for future travel needs. The public can comment on the study and share their preferred alternative via an online survey from November 7 through December 22. Public input will factor into the selection of a locally preferred alternative in early 2009. Citizens have a number of ways to learn about and comment on the alternatives study:

Where to find the Draft EIS: The 450-page document and a 38-page executive summary are available:

How to provide comments: Comments received during the official comment period (November 7 to December 22) will be responded to in the Final EIS.

— Online: At www.sellwoodbridge.org
— In Writing: Written comments should be mailed to Sellwood Bridge Project, 2020 SE 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97201. Comment forms are also available at community briefings and the public hearing (described below).
— Open house/public hearing: An open house will be held on Wednesday, December 10 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., with a formal public hearing from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. Written and oral comments will be taken at the open house and hearing.
— Take the online survey: An online survey is available at www.sellwoodbridge.org through December 22. The short survey is an informal poll to gauge community preferences on the alternatives. Survey comments are not included in the Final EIS.

Attend a community briefing: Four identical one-hour briefings will share highlights of the draft EIS findings. If you cannot attend a briefing, watch a video of the presentation at www.sellwoodbridge.org. Briefings are: